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Empty Pembrokeshire town centre shops remains cause for concern

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"Town centres are dying on their feet lack of investment high car park charges high rates. When the. Big boys want to move in they are given all the help to destroy our town centres. Wake up and smell the coffee planners and local authorities you are losing revenue."

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The A class premises includes shops, financial and professional services and food and drink outlets.

Out of the figures available, the town with the highest percentage of A class vacancies was Milford Haven with 14%, followed by Fishguard, Pembroke Dock and St Davids, all with 10%. Newport and Narberth had the lowest amount of vacancies at just 3% and 4% respectively.

Martin White said: “The top six towns have all set up town teams to address the problem.

“Some towns have a high rate and we’re working with them. But we need to put these figures into a Welsh context.”

In 2013 the UK vacancy rate was 13.9% and the Wales vacancy rate was 15.7%.

Jeremy Martineau has been involved with Fishguard and Goodwick Town Team. He said: “In principle the issue of empty premises has been discussed in the context of revising planning regulations to allow for a shrinkage of the retail area to allow for commercial to become residential more easily.

“I can only count four empty shops in Fishguard, but there are several in Main Street, Goodwick. If one looks historically the whole street was once a row of shops operating out of residential premises.”

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